Nephrite Jade

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DocStram

DocStram

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Anybody have experience working with Nephrite Jade? A friend just returned from Alaska and brought 4 pieces for me. Three of them are round, cylindrical shaped about 1 inch diameter by 4 to 6 inches long.

They're probably in the 5.8 - 6.2 range of the MOH scale. I know they can be carved with a diamond tipped burr, but I'm wondering about drilling and turning them for pen blanks. (They are not TruStone.)

Any suggestions?
 
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Tried this many years ago. You really need some good diamond drill bits and plenty of lubrication/cooling while drilling. Also wore out many tools in an attempt to turn. Even tried grinding. Best I got was with coring drill bits. I got some relatively inexpensive ones on ebay from China but they didn't last long. Did get one centerband complete, but process was too cumbersome for longer pieces for me. Still have some jade left, but never got back to it.

Also had to use diamond saw to part it.
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i have a block about 1 1/2" square by 6" that is my "moby Dick" of pen blanks....been beating on it with the Harbor Freight diamond tip bits and have managed to wreck the bits, but I think the stone is getting scared (not yet scarred, but maybe scared)....take pics!
 
Since Bruce and Jon were the only ones not to ask . . . I've decided to send all of the jade to them. :biggrin:

Thanks for the advice thus far. I'm hoping to make a single barrel pen from one of the pieces. But, from the sounds of things, I may end up using smaller pieces of it for trim.
 
DocStram said:
Anybody have experience working with Nephrite Jade? A friend just returned from Alaska and brought 4 pieces for me. Three of them are round, cylindrical shaped about 1 inch diameter by 4 to 6 inches long.

They're probably in the 5.8 - 6.2 range of the MOH scale. I know they can be carved with a diamond tipped burr, but I'm wondering about drilling and turning them for pen blanks. (They are not TruStone.)

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

If you aint gonna use it, send me 1 tube and I'll try it for a stone inlay. If it works?????
 
Thanks everybody for the suggestions.

Jim . . . please note that Roy et al were joking about me not using it. I have plans for all of it.

I also spoke with an old friend of ours who has made jade pens.

My plan, at this point, is to get a few diamond core bits to drill it out .. . and then a diamond flat file (1" width) and some ceramic or silicon carbide paper. Plus . . . water, and lots of it.

I'll keep you all posted.

Meanwhile, other suggestions are always welcome.
 
DocStram said:
Thanks everybody for the suggestions.

Jim . . . please note that Roy et al were joking about me not using it. I have plans for all of it.

I also spoke with an old friend of ours who has made jade pens.

My plan, at this point, is to get a few diamond core bits to drill it out .. . and then a diamond flat file (1" width) and some ceramic or silicon carbide paper. Plus . . . water, and lots of it.

I'll keep you all posted.

Meanwhile, other suggestions are always welcome.
Click to expand...
It sounds to me like you're on the right track here Doc. I look forward to the results.
 
Doc,
I used a diamond wheel dresser on some really hard sandstone I got from Charlie a while back. The rectangular kind with a relatively large surface area. The stone ate carbide for lunch. It was slow going but worked to smooth out the blank for final "sanding" which was done with a diamone file. I drilled it with masonary bits first stepping from the smallest I could get to just under sierra size then a diamond core bit got it close enough to epoxy it on the tube. Good luck
 
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